Sweet Sixteen
by Denebola Leo
Summary: Cloud had never touched alcohol in his life. He had simply been too busy with other things. But Zack insists on breaking him in on his sixteenth birthday...


**A/N: I'm making this into a group of three one-shots, all involving Zack and this burger filled pub in Midgar. I'll do Aerith next when I think of something clever to write. This one was harder, and I'm not completely satisfied, but I'm keeping it short despite a lot probably being needed to be said. Anyway, enjoy. Crossposted from AO3.**

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Cloud may have been here numerous times before, but tonight he felt a little nervous as he came out of the stinking humid air of Sector Six and into the pub that Zack dragged him to almost every two weeks. It wasn't that he didn't like it, he did. When Zack was around it made the day better, or the evening in this case.

It was just that it was Cloud's birthday.

No one had ever taken him anywhere for his birthday before. His mother would make him a vanilla cake with blue icing and a big pot of his favorite stew, and give him a wrapped present. It was a quiet affair, but it was something pleasant that was for him. No one else in the village knew his birthday, anyway.

His fifteenth birthday had a card from his mother come through the mail to greet him a few days after the fact and a MRE of some sort of meat casserole as he assisted in a monster nest extermination in the Midgar Wastes. It had been a stressful, unpleasant day, that made him long for the military police training they had him do when there was little else for one of his rank to occupy Shinra time.

Since Zack finally got it out of him, the Soldier had promised to take him somewhere for his birthday. Cloud hadn't been sure if he was going to take him here, or to the pizza joint down the street, or that one place that chopped steak up and put it into cheese-drenched subs. This place was becoming their place, though.

The two sat at their usual booth, the tacky faux-leather squeaking under their jeans. Zack sat nearest to the ketchup and mustard bottles while Cloud scratched under the short sleeve of his light green shirt and glanced at the condiments. The green of the booth contrasted Zack's dark blue sleeveless shirt. Giorgio came over to ask for their drinks, the only thing they ordered that might change one night to the next.

"I'll have a Doct—"

Zack interrupted his friend. "Two beers, and a couple shots each of Costa tequila!"

Giorgio studied Cloud, who was blinking in surprise with his mouth partially open. Then he looked at Zack. "...He looks kinda young, dontchu think?"

"He's old enough to serve, he's old enough to drink, man. C'mon, it's his birthday!"

The server rolled his brown eyes. "Whatever happens tonight is on you, Zack." He walked off.

Cloud tapped the chipped wood of the table. "Zack, is this a good idea? I've never drank before." He was sure he could handle a beer, but he wasn't sure about the tequila.

"Hey, you took off tomorrow too right? I'll drag ya back to my apartment."

The blond raised a brow. "Is that alright?"

Zack gave him a fond look. "As if there's any problem with a sleepover party! Anyway, let's have a good time. It's your birthday!"

Cloud let a faint smile cross his face as a quiet chuckle left his lips. "Yeah, alright. And thank you."

"You've been thankin' me all day!"

"Have I?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." Giorgio came back to their table with two large pints of a deep amber beer, and then set four shot glasses filled to the brim with a clear as day tequila in front of them. One by one they went from the server tray to the center of the table, an imposing sight to the Private First Class. Then Giorgio was gone, and despite the noise of patrons conversing louder with each drink they had, the room sounded a little quiet to Cloud. This was it. Booze.

Zack gently picked a shot glass up, a little tequila leaking onto his thumb. Cloud copied him, excitement and anxiety growing in his gut. His friend brought his glass towards his mouth before smiling. "Bottom's up!"

At the same time they both knocked back the shot. It tasted hideous and Cloud swore the fumes were making their way into his lungs. He sharply breathed out as his face flushed and the tequila burned a path towards his empty stomach. "Holy crap," he croaked out from his wince. "That was horrible."

"You get used to it. Burns goin' down, but the afterglow is nice, isn't it?" Zack picked up his next shot glass, and his friend copied him.

The sooner he drank this, the sooner it would be out of his system. He drank the shot quicker this time, and it wasn't quite as bad as the first. His belly was starting to feel warm, and he suppressed a giggle. Where did that come from? He didn't giggle. Cloud decided to wash away the aftertaste with some of his beer.

"Pace yourself, Spike. It's your first time, remember?" Zack was smirking as he grabbed his glass.

Cloud wiped the foam from his upper lip. "You're the one makin' me drink all this!"

Half his glass had been emptied before their burgers came, and he was feeling a bit silly. Zack's jokes were funnier and his cheeks felt warm. Cloud's stack of patties, cheese, and mushrooms laid open faced with a creamy beef gravy that was similar to something he had eaten in Nibelheim. It was a welcome sight as his stomach sloshed with alcohol. He put the toasted bun on with a little exaggeration, patted it down very gently, then picked it up and started to eat. Mushrooms and gravy oozed out of the other side into a sloppy pile near his fries.

Zack's spicy burger could be messy, but by the time Cloud was done with his, his hands were caked with gravy. He usually prepared by grabbing napkins out of the dispenser before eating, but he had forgotten. He eyed it with a cheekful of burger, then decided that he could do it without making a mess. Cloud pulled a clump of napkins out while smearing gravy all over the metal front.

After finishing the last bite of his burger he tried to wipe his face and hands off, but he needed more, so more napkins and gravy and grease mingled with the now sad looking, slimy dispenser. Eventually he cleared if off of his hands and face, then took another shot of tequila Zack had ordered after Giorgio asked if they needed anything else.

"Man, I think you're gettin' trashed!"

Cloud glanced at Zack and very gently swayed in his seat. Was he? Everything felt so light, and he felt pretty funny. "No I'm nod," he replied. He looked about the bar a bit. "Whad's dat?" He pointed at a stage.

"Karaoke," Zack replied while wiping tears from his eyes. "Whoa, those peppers were hot tonight..."

His blond friend munched on a handful of fries as he stared at it. He had bravado burning in his chest. Usually that happened during an excursion into the wastes, when he wanted to prove himself to his group. Why it was happening now, he had no idea nor did he care. He could sing, he was sure; even if he had never tried. How hard could it be? "Sh...should I? Yeah, I should."

"Should you what?" Zack cocked his head as Cloud scooted out of his booth and stumbled towards the small stage. He hesitated before slugging back the rest of his beer and cautiously watching his buddy. He bit his lip as Cloud grabbed the microphone off of the stand, then slumped onto the karaoke machine, looking for a song. The pub grew quiet as patrons began to realize what was happening.

There was a few playful jeers and a whistle as Cloud stood wavering on the stage, face flushed and full of focus. He liked this song right now, because the very first line reminded him of Tifa, his old neighbor that he innocently watched from time to time. That was it. He brought the microphone to his mouth and waited for the song to begin. Zack watched near the front of the stage, ready to catch him if he fell off.

Cloud was about to begin singing, but an adolescent belch reverberated off of the mic. He shook his head, then began belting out what he remembered of the lyrics to the laughter of patrons. "I'm jus' a small down girl, livin' in a ugly worhl...He took the Midgar train goin' everywhere..."

That wasn't how the song went, Zack thought.

"Uh...Don't stob, believin'...Don't stob, believing..." Cloud scratched his head as his fuzzy mind was raked for lyrics. Leftover gravy streaked a few of his golden spikes. "Don't...Don't staaaaab, beliebin'..."

A patron pointed at him. "Ya look like a chocobo that shit itself!" A chorus of laughs followed.

Cloud blinked at the man. "Yoo loog like a...turd muffin." More laughter.

"Alright, enough excitement for today!" Zack climbed onto the stage and grabbed the mic from Cloud, who looked like a child that lost his ice cream on a hot day. "Let's go home."

"Bud my song!"

Zack knew he wasn't getting anywhere with this. He looked towards Giorgio, who was shaking his head at the commotion. "Put it on my tab!" He looked back at Cloud, the hoisted him up like a bride and hopped off the stage. "Let's get you back to my place, then we can eat cake after you've sobered up."

"Zack's got himself a fiesty bride!"

Cloud was limp in his friend's arms, but looked up at him as they finally left the pub. He was jealous of the mako glow in Zack's eyes, but he thought about the promise of cake right after. "Izzit vanilla?"

"You bet, buddy."

The young soldier wrapped his arms around his friend's neck, still being carried off towards the apartments. "You're my bed fren, Zack. Tanks for th' drinks, this's gread. You're d'besd."

Zack laughed, and continued on his way. He was going to have to get a Remedy prepared for Cloud. Costa tequila gave the worst hangovers. "Anything for my lil' chocobo on his birthday!"


End file.
